We ‘ve completed the judging for Round 44 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. [1] But before announcing winners, I have a special announcement: The Gunsite Academy [2]–The first and best of America’s large scale shooting schools–has kindly donated a Three Day Course Certificate (good for any one, two, or three course [3] with a value up to $1,195) for Round 45 and subsequent writing contest rounds. This course certificate is being added to the First Prize package. This brings the value of the First Prize package to $3,090 and the combined value of the top three prize packages to $7,485. (Note that this total does not include the many Honorable Mention prizes–there are usually 10 or more awarded for each contest round.)
Now… the Round 44 prize winners:
First Prize goes to T.S.H., MD for Field Care For Your Newborn [4], which was posted on December 20, 2012. She will be sent: A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand [5], B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical [6]. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses [7]. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans [8], courtesy of Ready Made Resources [9]. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize [10], for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator [11] from Safecastle.com [12] (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. [13] and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance [14].
Second Prize goes to Ulysses in Montana, for: Marksmanship and .308 Battle Rifles [15], which was posted on January 17, 2013. He will be sent:A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol [16] and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt [17], courtesy of Next Level Training. [18] Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com [19]. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, E. [20]) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs) [21], courtesy of CampingSurvival.com [22] (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 [23] from JRH Enterprises [24] (a $200 value).
Third Prize goes to B.E., for Ropes and Rope Making [25], which was posted on January 11, 2013. He will be sent: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, [26] courtesy of Directive 21 [26]. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store [27], with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy [28]. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! [29] emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections [30], a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security. [31]
Honorable Mention prizes ($30 Amazon.com gift cards) go to the authors of 15 other excellent articles:
- Survival Seeds-Plan Your Survival Garden Now, by Jennifer A. [32]
- Observations on Bugging Out By Foot, by J. Smith [33]
- Bare Bones Survival, by Blake R. [34]
- Automotive Preparedness, by P.D. in Northern Missouri [35]
- Caring for the Chronically Ill Family Member in a Disaster, by Rebecca H. [36]
- Common Sense Cooking in a Grid Down World, by Linda in North Carolina [37]
- Survival Bikes, by Banjo [38]
- What to Do if You’re Stung by a Striped Bark Scorpion, by Richard R. [39]
- Bangladesh: Lessons Learned and Brought Home, by K.G. [40]
- The Po’ Mans TEOTWAWKI Guide, by R.B. [41]
- Is it Evolution or an Alternative Semi-Auto Personal Defense Rifle?, by Racker [42]
- Four-Tier Survival for the Newbie, by C.H. [43]
- Skis for Creating Winter Survival Options: The Norwegian Edge, by 60 Degrees N., in Norway [44]
- Packing Horses and Mules, by R.S. [45]
- Accurizing a Precision Rifle on a Budget, by Mike L. [46]
Here is the updated list of prizes for round 45, et sequitur:
First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy [2] Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical [6]. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans [8], courtesy of Ready Made Resources [9]. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize [10], for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator [11] from Safecastle.com [12] (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. [13] and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance [14].
Second Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand [5], B.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol [16] and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt [17], courtesy of Next Level Training. [18] Together, these have a retail value of $589. C.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com [19]. D.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, E.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials [20] and F.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs) [21], courtesy of CampingSurvival.com [22] (a $180 value).
Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, [26] courtesy of Directive 21 [26]. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store [27], with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy [28]. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! [29] emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections [30], a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security. [31], E.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 [23] from JRH Enterprises [24] (a $200 value).
Round 44 ends on January 31st, 2013, so get busy writing and e-mail [47] us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.